What are Progressive Lenses?
Progressive lenses, such as Varilux, have no lines separating the different lens strengths, yet they provide the user with clear vision at all distances, allowing both head and eyes to stay in a natural and comfortable position when looking at objects in the distance, the intermediate zone and close up. This means no abrupt changes in lens strength, and no need to compensate with unhealthy body movement patterns.
The results are, rather, simple and seamless. Eliminating the visible line in the middle of the lens also hides the fact that the user is in need of reading glasses, something many is self-conscious about.
Progressive lenses are designed so that a smooth and seamless progression of lens power runs vertically down each lens, providing clear vision at all distances and a more natural depth focus than bifocals.
Choosing lenses with anti-reflective coating like Crizal will eliminate reflection on both sides of the glass, making activities like driving in the dark a more pleasant experience. This will also help others see your eyes clearly.
Although this is currently the peak of eyewear technology, it is impossible to create seamless multifocal lenses without the occurrence of unwanted aberrations, or irregularities creating distorted vision somewhere in the lens. These aberrations might cause the peripheral vision to appear slightly blurry, especially when looking down, or create a “swim effect” (the sensation of being out of balance) during rapid movements of the head. For most people, these are minor issues that disappear as they get used to their new lenses, and technological advances in the development of progressive lenses have eliminated or minimised most of these negative side effects.
To make sure that the lenses are tailored to your specific needs, your eye-care specialist will measure your eyes and eyeglass frame in order to carefully adjust the lenses to suit your eyes. Today we have a wide range of progressive lens designs to fit almost any need and lifestyle.
Progressive Lenses: Clear Vision at All Distance
Choosing Progressive Lenses
Wearing the wrong type of glasses can cause problems beyond uncomfortable or poor vision. It can cause headaches and even migraines, due to the squinting and straining to compensate for the wrong glasses.
Often, we choose the wrong glasses or need multiple pairs, because some patients can have trouble reading or viewing things up close, as well as focusing on objects in the distance. Rather than carry two pairs of glasses or struggle with your vision, many people use bifocal or progressive lenses. We explore what’s different and what you should choose that suits your needs the best.
Bifocal Lenses: A Thing Of The Past?
Bifocals have a visible line in the middle of the lens, separating it into two different lens strengths. They provide clear vision when looking at objects at a distance (the upper part of the lens), as well as looking at objects close up (lower part of the lens), though looking at objects in between can pose some challenges. Critically, this is where most of the activities in our daily lives happen, from grocery shopping and working on our computers to engaging in face-to-face conversations.
Because of this, people often find themselves switching between the upper and lower parts of the lens by either moving their eyes up and down, or by changing the position of their head. This can be both tiring and annoying, and can cause strain to the muscles around the eyes as well as the neck – well-known causes for headaches. The abrupt changes in lens strength when moving the eyes up and down can also cause nausea and dizziness. Even trifocal lenses pose some of the same challenges, as these lenses are also separated by visible lines.
Progressive lenses, on the other hand, eliminate these problems.
